


Once More, With Feeling

by Ipomia



Series: Twisted Fate [3]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Game: Life is Strange: Before the Storm (2017), Maxine "Max" Caulfield Stayed in Arcadia Bay, Maxine "Max" Caulfield Still Has Powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26169265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ipomia/pseuds/Ipomia
Summary: Set after chapter 9 of Pale.Max managed to go back in time and save William. But when the spirits offered to help her, she made the mistake of asking to stay in Arcadia Bay.  This seemingly simple change led to Max living a very different life, haunted by yet another choice she had made wrong. Now, she can only move forward, using her powers to keep Chloe safe and happy, just waiting for the day she will sacrifice herself.  But does it really have to end that way?
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Rachel Amber/Chloe Price
Series: Twisted Fate [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1871233
Comments: 58
Kudos: 46





	1. Reset

**Author's Note:**

> Reading Pale before this is highly recommended. This is a continuation of Pale set after chapter 9.

I awoke to the sound of my alarm going off. My hand slapped the bedside alarm with practiced ease. "It's too early," I groaned as I grabbed my phone and sat up. After unlocking it, I found a couple of texts from Chloe waiting for me.

[Captain Chloe]  
[wake up! we got shit to do today! it's your first day at blackhell and i'm gonna show u the ropes]  
[text me when you get up]

A small smile touched my lips. Her enthusiasm was practically infectious. But I already knew Blackwell inside and out, not that I could tell her that. Honestly, going back there just filled me with dread. In this timeline, Mark Jefferson was still out there and just as dangerous as ever.

_Just when does that bastard get to Arcadia Bay?_

[Me]  
[How can you possibly be excited about the first day of school? I just want to go back to bed.]

I set the phone aside and got dressed. My room here was actually just about the same size as my dorm was back in Blackwell. The one year mark was getting close. A year since I came back to keep everyone safe and alive. And a year since I utterly failed. Sorrow and regret crashing over me, I sat back over on my bed and buried my face in my hands.

I fucked it up. I always did. An opportunity to permanently return to the past meant I could save William and keep Chloe safe. It seemed like a no-brainer. But then the spirits offered me assistance. They could help me in some small way, and I was so stupid that I asked if they could keep me in Arcadia Bay. They said they could.

When I got back to that fateful day, I kept William from dying. It was easy. I'd done it before. But… I never got to go home. There was a fire, and my parents died. All my photos burned and none of the pictures at the Price household could get me in a position to change any of that.

I got to stay in Arcadia Bay.

Wiping my face with my hands, I did my best to squash my emotions down. I grabbed my phone and messenger bag and made a beeline for the bathroom to wash my face. After calming myself down a bit, I went back to my phone.

[Captain Chloe]  
[come on! were in the same grade now! we have so many classes together. this is the year of max and chloe!]

Yeah. Skipping a grade was kind of easy when you're a senior trapped in a freshman's body. Though, even I didn't get that right. They said I could skip to the 11th grade. How humiliating that I couldn't even get to my regular grade. But, I guess that's not what I wanted anyway. Just one grade. To be together with Chloe. That's what this sacrifice was for, wasn't it?

_If only I knew the cost._

I shook my head, banishing the clawing thoughts. As fucked up as it was, this was still somehow more bearable than a world without Chloe. If only just…

After getting my hair fixed, I took my morning selfie. Once again, I couldn't bear a smile. But a good photo wasn't really the point. Taking out a sharpie, I wrote today's date on the margin before stowing it in my bag. I hadn't had to use any of them yet, but this ritual meant that I would always have a backup. To prevent them from all being lost, I also tried to take selfies with friends and leave them in their care. I couldn't afford to have all my jumping back points to go up in smoke a third time.

My routine complete, I headed back through to get some grub and head out.

"Good morning, Max."

I looked up as I got to the main area of our little apartment with the tiny kitchen on one side and the living room on the other. There, sitting on the couch, was David Madsen. My foster-dad. I fucked up his life, too. With William still alive, I deprived him of his happiness by keeping Joyce out of his reach. It was somehow fitting for us to be miserable together.

"Hey, David," I greeted, heading over to the kitchen. Calling him "pop" or "dad" never felt right. It probably never would. So I settled on "David," and he never seemed to mind. He actually liked it better than Mr. Madsen, which I called him for a solid month and a half.

He was the only one who knew. Who I really was. What I could do.

What I did.

I made myself a bowl of cereal and stood in the kitchen eating as I tried to keep up my conversation with Chloe.

[Me]  
[Still, starting the school year means that we only get to hang out on the weekends. And being in class together is hardly the same thing.]

[Captain Chloe]  
[oh my god! you are such a mopey max this morning! i'm gonna have to find a way to fix that shit]

Great. How was I supposed to reply to that? I finished my breakfast without figuring out the answer. As I washed the bowl and spoon, I heard David.

"Hey Max, they still haven't found a replacement for Teddy down at the garage. So I'm probably going to be working over again today."

"Do you need me to make dinner?" I asked, putting the dishes on in the drying rack.

"Actually, I was thinking you could just pack a change and spend the night at Chloe's? It's a lot easier now that you're going to the same school," David said, looking over at me. "They're asking me to do a double."

"You're sure? You're gonna be totally beat by the time you get back." I stepped around the counter, wiping my wet hands on my jeans.

He nodded. "I'll just hit a drive-thru for dinner."

"That's not healthy," I argued.

"Better than an MRE, let me tell you," he shot back.

I rolled my eyes. "The MREs again." He pointed a finger at me, and I hung my head a bit. "Sorry." David wasn't hard to get along with—as long as you always showed him respect. He took even the slightest of slights personally and flew off the handle. It was easier just to go along with it. Which is exactly why Chloe never got along with him. "I'll go pack a change."

As I threw a spare change of clothes into my backpack, I shot Chloe another text.

[Me]  
[David's going to be working late again today. Do you think your parents would be okay with me staying over for the night?]

The reply was nearly instantaneous.

[Captain Chloe]  
[see! this is the killer shit i'm talking about. since we're going to the same school you can practically live here now. shits gonna be epic this year!]

[Me]  
[Is that a yes?]

[Captain Chloe]  
[hell yea]

I slung my pack over my shoulder and headed back down the hall. "Chloe says it's okay for me to spend the night," I said as I re-entered the living room.

"Good, let's move out, then," David said, scooping up his keys from the coffee table.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

I ended up on campus a solid hour before classes started and still way too damn early in the morning. That was one big perk to the dorms. You really just had to roll out of bed and walk over to class. I could've still been asleep for another half an hour. But my scholarship would've come up short if I wanted a dorm. So a commuter was I. Fuck me.

"Max!"

I looked up at the familiar voice to see Kate waving at me from over at one of the tables. Even years younger, she still wore that same style. Alyssa was there, too, sans the dyed hair. Not that I technically knew her. Not in this timeline. Still, I walked over and gave Kate a smile. "It's been a while, Kate," I muttered a lame half-apology.

"Who is this?" Alyssa asked, turning her eyes to me.

"This is Max," Kate said, her sweet smile never faltering. "She stayed with my family for a few months after…"

"My parents died," I filled in the silence Kate left. The words tasted like bile in my throat. The truth of them. The lie of them.

_I killed my parents._

"Oh," Alyssa's tone softened. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine," I said, grimacing a smile.

_It's not._

"Max, this is Alyssa," Kate introduced me. "We were just comparing schedules and it looks like we have a lot of classes together. What does your schedule look like?"

"We probably don't have any classes together," I muttered, as I fished the paper from my messenger bag. Handing the paper over I said, "I'm starting as a sophomore this year."

"Oh my goodness, really?" Kate stared at the paper, a genuine enthusiasm in her voice. "I'm so happy for you. You were always so smart!"

I took back the paper, not sure how to respond to that. I _wasn't_ smart. Every day in school was a struggle for as long as I could remember. I just so happened to have already done these grades once before. Skipping ahead was just a way for me to be with Chloe. She needed more support than a few texts throughout the day. "I actually got credits for a lot of the core classes, so I filled up my schedule with electives and the rest of my classes I picked whatever Chloe was doing at that time."

"Who's Chloe?" Alyssa asked.

"That'd be me!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as her hand gripped my shoulder.

My head snapped over to find her giving me a stupid grin. Tucked under her free arm was her skateboard. Her hair remained its natural strawberry blonde and her style was a far cry from the punk exterior I'd come to adore so much. She just wore a graphic tee, a pair of non-ripped jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes.

"Hey, Kate, long time no see," Chloe said, removing her hand from my shoulder so she could give Kate a wave. "You're going to Blackhell now, huh?"

"Um, yes?" Kate faltered just a bit. Chloe always made her a little uncomfortable. Kate motioned between Chloe and Alyssa. "This is Chloe, Max's best friend. Chloe, this is Alyssa."

"'Sup?" Chloe greeted with a nod. "This is my second year around, so if you guys need anything, hit me up."

Alyssa turned to Kate. "Do you know everyone at Blackwell?"

Kate shook her head as she let a giggle escape her throat. "No. Just these two, actually."

"We'll have to catch up some time, Kate, but I need to steal Max here away," Chloe said, emphasizing my name by throwing her arm over my shoulders and leaning into me. She led me away with promises to show me all the best spots. Which, in Chloe's mind, were basically secluded places to hang out or smoke. She didn't even take me by the dorms or anything, mostly because, as a local like me, she didn't have access. Good enough by me. I'd probably have tried to set the Tobanga on fire, or at least tried to convince Chloe to do it.

After being shown all the quiet places I already knew, plus a couple I didn't over by the football field, we still had close to twenty minutes to kill. And Chloe needed her fix. We stopped by the backside of the gymnasium as Chloe lit a cigarette.

"I hate that you smoke," I said, keeping a healthy distance between us. It was mostly true. I still kind of considered the lingering smell of cigarettes and weed to be "Chloe." At least she hadn't achieved her chain-smoking levels of consumption. Yet.

"Blame Justin and Trevor. They got me started," Chloe said, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"I never should've let you come here for a year by yourself. You need a chaperone!" I chided.

She purposely blew a puff of smoke in my face. "Don't be such a drag, Max. You sound worse than my parents." It took her about half a second to catch her slip. "Fuck! Shit, sorry, Max. I didn't mean…"

"It's fine. I know you didn't mean anything by it." Still, I suddenly felt like shit. Again.

"I got kinda hung up on the 'drag' pun. Because of the cigarette," Chloe overexplained.

I sighed. "I said it's fine."

"Yeah, and I don't fucking believe you. When the hell are you gonna stop blaming yourself for that shit?"

I pushed myself off the building and turned my back to Chloe. "When it stops being my fault."

"It's not—fuck, Max!" Chloe tossed her cigarette and grabbed her board before catching up to me. Passing me up, she turned around and grabbed my shoulder with her free hand. "What happened to your parents was a super fucked up fluke. Do you hear me? You had nothing to do with it."

_I asked for it to happen._

"We're… really different, aren't we?" I asked, looking up into those gorgeous blue eyes. "You'd blame anyone and everyone for something before you would blame yourself. Even in a fucked up world that's out to get me, I just… I can't help but hate myself for not being able to do a single goddamned thing right. All the chances in the world… and I just keep making the wrong choices, over and over."

Chloe's skateboard clattered to the ground as she put her other hand on my other shoulder and gave me a good shake. "Listen here. You have been through a hell I can't even begin to imagine. And look at you. You're a better student than before. Your pictures are nothing short of fucking amazing. Hell, you put up with that douchebag Madsen every day. You're still the nicest person I know and my best friend. You're always there for me. Always. I… I can't tell you what that means to me, and-and how much of an asshole it makes me feel like when you get like this, Max! Fucking just… tell me what to do. Tell me how I can make it better!"

My vision blurred, and all I could do was to step forward and wrap my arms around Chloe. "Just… be you. Be happy," I said as I held her tight and my own sobs started to claim me. "That's all I want."

Chloe's arms wrapped around me, and I felt her chin on top of my head. "Shit. How can you ask me to be happy when you're like this?" she asked, her voice straining to try to stay even.

In her arms, everything felt right. The smell of cigarettes and a faint, sweet odor that I could only identify as "Chloe" calmed me as much as her strong, warm arms around me. I felt her breathing against me and it quelled the sobs that threatened to choke me.

Of course, even this perfect moment could still be ruined my own fucked up brain and emotions. I fought against my desire to take the soft flesh of her neck into my lips. Chloe hadn't even discovered herself. She hadn't met Rachel at the Firewalk concert.

I had to make sure she found Rachel at that concert. Rachel was her first love. Her angel. Me? I was just a convenient rebound. Something to latch onto to keep herself from drowning in her sorrow of Rachel's disappearance. More importantly, I wouldn't be here for Chloe forever. If my visions came true, I would die when the storm comes in four years. She needed someone to lean on. Someone to spend her life with that could make her truly happy. She needed Rachel Amber.

Deliberately, I pried myself away from my guilty comfort. "We need to get to class," I said, keeping my voice calm and even. It took every ounce of strength I had to not look at her as I passed. "You can't afford any tardies."


	2. Firewalk with Me

"Hey, Max. I'm totally gay for you," I said to the mirror.

_Fuck, that was bad._

"Max. I've been meaning to tell you something. Something important."

With a frustrated grunt, I whirled away from the mirror. It was a stupid thing. A couple of months ago, Max spent the night again, but this time was… different. I noticed her in a way I never did before. That night, I didn't get a moment of sleep. I just stared at her, like some fucking creep, wanting nothing more than to kiss that stupid freckled face of hers.

In the end, it didn't matter what perfect, awesome words I found for the mirror. It's not like I'd work up the courage to actually tell Max. She was my best friend. The thought that I might ruin that with my stupid-ass gayness tormented me. Why the hell did I turn out to be some sick fuck that likes girls instead of guys? Max might think I'm disgusting all on my own, let alone if I told her that the girl I had the hots for was her.

To drown out my thoughts, I pulled open my underwear drawer and fished around the bottom until I found my stash. Pulling out the baggie of grass, I doubled back to make sure my door was locked before taking it over to my desk. There was only one cure for my fucked up thoughts, and that was to drown them in a comfortable haze. As I prepared my joint, that same voice I wanted to shut up continued to kick my ass. If the fact that I was gay wasn't enough for Max to hate me, she'd totally unfriend my ass if she knew I smoked pot. She gave me enough hell just for the cigarettes.

With the joint rolled, I leaned over and opened my window before climbing up on my desk. Curled there by the window, I lit the joint, making sure that I always exhaled out the window. "When did I get so fucked up?" I asked no one as I kept my gaze out the window. "I'm kinda surprised she hasn't already mutinied against me. Not like I don't deserve it."

I felt the relaxing effects of my herb after just a couple hits, and that ugly part of my brain that liked to kick me in the teeth all day long started to calm the fuck down. Even though I was gay, Max wouldn't hate me for it. We hung with Steph and Mikey every week, at least, and she had to know Steph's a lesbian, right? I shouldn't hide who I was from my best friend. No way she'd hate me for it. I just… had to keep it in my pants. It was fine that I was gay. Just so long as I wasn't gay for her.

_Which I totally fucking am._

My phone distracted me from my thoughts for all of half a second before I realized who was texting me. Half of my brain wanted me to just tell her that I was a total fucking lesbian. The other half told that half to go fuck itself. I think I liked that second half better.

[1st M8 Max]  
[Hey, did you hear about the concert down at the old mill?]

I just stared at the text for a minute, completely dumbfounded. Of course, I heard about it. It was _Firewalk_. That shit was gonna be epic. But how the hell did mousey little Max hear about it? More importantly, what did she care? That had to be the complete opposite of her style. She'd be happier sipping some fancy coffee at a deserted little shop reading some weird book than rocking out in an abandoned mill with a shitton of rowdy drunks.

[Me]  
[maybe. question is, wtf do u know about it? you're not gonna srsly tell me you wanna go.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Don't give me that shit. You totally want to go, and it's not like you haven't dragged me to concerts before.]

I took the time to put out my joint before texting her back.

[Me]  
[this isn't some tween concert, dork. pretty good chance someone gets stabbed or some shit at this show. which just makes it that much more awesome.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Yeah. I don't think I'm as big a fan of people getting stabbed as you are. But still, this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. You should go.]

I smiled at the text. Both earnest and snarky. So Max.

[Me]  
[i'd love to, but ur talking about a show thats starting AFTER my curfew. i'd b so grounded i'd b 6 ft under if i went.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Such a little angel, not wanting to break her parents' hearts.]  
[But how about this. Instead of going with you to the stabapalooza, I cover for you so you can get your rawk on! (^_-)]

I couldn't tell if my dry mouth was due to to the pot, or the nonsense I was reading. Struggling to come up with enough spit to swallow, I reread the text for like, the fifth time. Defying Sergeant Dickwad wasn't something to take lightly. That prick was the living embodiment of a nazi. Just looking at him was enough to start a fight. And here Max was, ready to shoulder his wrath, not to mention the wrath of my parents, just so I could go have a kickass time at the concert of my dreams.

[Me]  
[i can't ask u to do that for me. i'll just have to hear all about it after the fact maybe find a pirated vid from Steph or something.]  
[also, no emoji!]

[1st M8 Max]  
[You don't have to ask. I'm volunteering. Just tell your parents you're spending the night at my place.]  
[Also, :/]

[Me]  
[fuck u]  
[but srsly, that's like, the oldest trick in the book. no way my parents fall for it. they'll call david or something to confirm.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[You've stayed over at my place a dozen times. Have your parents checked in even once?]  
[More importantly, when were you so chickenshit that you'd miss out on something like this over the CHANCE that you might get in trouble? Just who are you and what have you done with my fearless captain?]

I smirked at that. Deep down, I knew she knew I would, too. And that thought brought on a full-fledged smile as I texted back.

[Me]  
[that kind of talk might be considered mutiny, long max silver. but what good would a first mate b that didn't give me a good kick in the ass every now and again?]  
[all right. u talked me into it. totally going to firewalk and it's gonna b tits. will my first mate b joining me on this quest?]

[1st M8 Max]  
[I think I would be better suited to guard duty. Someone has to protect all that precious booty.]

[Me]  
[this precious booty is going to be rawking out. ur gonna miss out on it if u dont come]

It took my brain about half a second to register what I just sent.

_Fuck! Dumb shit, don't flirt with Max!_

[1st M8 Max]  
[Sorry, Captain. Gotta sit this one out. Someone has to do damage control if our nefarious plans are uncovered by the enemy.]

_Thank God._

I breathed a sigh of relief that Max seemed unaffected by my unsolicited flirting. This time, I actually put some damn thought in my text.

[Me]  
[ur a fucking hero, max. srsly. i'll owe u big time for this.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Just doing my duty, Captain. /(^ ^)]

[Me]  
[NO emoji!]

* * *

True to her word, Max totally covered for my ass so I could drive my truck out to the old mill. My wardrobe had shifted over the months to less skater, more punk, so I didn't really have to go out to find an outfit to wear. My closet had it all. The thing that I really worried about was the fake I.D. I got from a friend of Steph's. I mean, it looked good and all, but fuck if I wasn't way too young to pull this shit off.

And, sure enough, the bouncer called my ass out on it. Of course, that wasn't enough to stop me. I looked for another way in, to no avail. I even tried talking my way in, and that failed spectacularly, too.

"Fuck me," I muttered as I sat next to the fire. My phone told me that I hadn't missed anything from Max or my parents. So I guess, at the very least, I wasn't going to get in trouble for coming out to listen to Firewalk's echoes through the walls of the old mill.

_May as well text Max and let her know I fucked it up._

Just as I was about to text, my phone buzzed.

[Partner in Time]  
[Don't give up so easily.]  
[Follow my lead. I'll get you in.]

"The fuck?" I stared at the screen, not quite understanding. First and foremost, I had no clue who this number was, let alone how it was already a contact on my fucking phone. But how the fuck did this person what was going on?

_Shit!_

My head snapped up as I looked around. Someone must've been watching me. But I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just the bouncer. Even those two jackasses had wandered off into the night.

[Partner in Time]  
[Go over to the corner where no one can see you.]

[Me]  
[just who the fuck is this?]

[Partner in Time]  
[Your Partner in Time. Now do what I tell you if you want to get by that bouncer.]

I walked by the bikes and leaned against the wall. My skin crawled and my stomach churned, just waiting for someone to grab me and drag me to hell. Just as I was about to text the mystery number, another text came in.

[Partner in Time]  
[When everything goes silent, just walk in. Don't waste time.]

 _The fuck is that supposed to_ —

My thoughts derailed as the steady noise from the concert fell into complete silence. Like, unnatural, super-creepy silence. There weren't even murmurs from the people inside or the sounds of nature around. My whole body felt heavy and it seemed to take a lot of effort just to breathe.

"What the fuck?" I felt the words in my throat, but they never reached my ears.

I stepped out, and I nearly tripped over myself. The fire was burning, but it was fucking frozen—completely unmoving. The bouncer stood off to the side, also totally still. It was like the whole goddamn world was consumed by an omnipresent stillness. It almost made me forget what I had to do and what the text told me. _Don't waste time._ Was time even fucking moving?

I forced myself to move, though it felt like I was underwater. It seemed to take me forever to slip by the bouncer and get to the door. When I opened it, the interior suffered the same fate. Everyone and everything stuck in place. I swung the door shut behind me, and I fell to the ground as everything started all at once.

"Fuck!" My hands slapped the rough wood floor. A lot of people looked my way, so I got to my feet and tried to play it off like I hadn't just had the trippiest couple of minutes of my whole goddamn life.

My phone buzzed again.

[Partner in Time]  
[Enjoy the show.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set about a year after the first chapter. Sorry about the time jumps, but going forward everything should happen in a closer time frame.


	3. Witch

My head throbbed as I stepped free from the treeline. I tucked my burner phone into my bag as I stepped toward the old mill. While I had hoped Chloe would get in on her own, I came prepared to do whatever it took to make tonight go right for her. Now, I just had to keep an eye out for her. This was a rough crowd, after all. I just really wish Chloe had told me more about it. She gave me so precious few details in the few moments of quiet we shared during that week of heaven and hell.

She met Rachel here. They skip school tomorrow. Rachel takes her to the park where she flips out over her dad meeting a mystery woman that turns out to be her biological mother she didn't know she had. They start a fire, do a play, Rachel is stabbed… I'd have to intervene before that part. Finally, Chloe has to rescue Rachel's mother from some drug dealer that makes Frank look like a teddy bear. Also had to prevent that.

When I approached, the bouncer greeted me saying, "No way in hell, little girl."

"I might actually be twenty-one at this point," I muttered as I extended my arm. Time reversed. Once my ghostly doppelganger disappeared into the trees, I let time crawl to a halt. I walked by the guy and into the mill before releasing my grasp on time. I'd do the math to find my actual age, but it was an exercise that just made me feel like shit. That had trained me to ignore the urge to try. Instead, I set my mind on the task at hand: keep an eye on Chloe.

The shitty bar had some really shady-looking people hanging around, most of them half-conscious. Then, I found a familiar face sitting on a couch that looked like it came from a different century. I went over and sat down, watching Chloe grab a beer from a bucket. "Hey, Frank," I muttered, keeping my eyes on Chloe.

"Little girl, you are way too young for this scene. How the hell did you talk your way in here?"

"I didn't," I replied. Chloe disappeared behind the corner, so I looked over at Frank. "Didn't I tell you? I'm a witch."

He scoffed. "You really expect me to believe that shit?"

"I don't care," I said. My knee started bouncing as I nervously watched the spot where Chloe disappeared. Two guys went over, and Chloe reappeared, stumbling into them. That wasn't going well.

"Frank, you're gonna have to pick a side," I told him as Chloe talked to those douchebags. "Damon is your friend, but he's also an asshole that likes to send teenagers to the hospital. I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect Chloe and Rachel, so I'm gonna take Damon down. You can go down with him, or you can help me keep Chloe and Rachel safe."

Chloe turned our way, and her eyes went wide as they met mine.

Nope. I held out my hand and rewound.

"…keep Chloe and Rachel safe. Oh, and don't tell Chloe I'm here." I reached out, holding time just as Chloe turned our way. I stepped back into the hallway before releasing my hold on time. A confused shout from Frank reached my ears. To him, I must've just vanished into thin air. Maybe that would help tip the scales for him to side with us. We would need all the allies we could to take down Damon.

All the noise made it hard for me to make out what Chloe and Frank were talking about, but I was pretty sure he didn't mention me. That went my way, at least. After Chloe went upstairs, I held time again so I could "reappear" by Frank.

"Thanks for not telling Chloe," I said.

"Jesus, fuck!" Frank actually scooted away from me a bit. "How the fuck are you doing that shit?"

"Witch," I replied simply. "In any case, I know you're a good person, deep down in there somewhere. I hope you make the right choice." I looked over, and he had his phone out. This was as good an opportunity as any other. I stopped time before reaching out and plucking the phone from his hand. He was messaging Damon, letting him know some freaky girl was talking about taking him down. Though I found myself disappointed in him, I knew Frank still had his opportunity to redeem himself. I added my burner phone to his contacts, naming myself "Witch" before changing his message to read: _Really, Frank? I was hoping you'd play this smart._

I put the phone back in his hand before heading up after Chloe, waiting to release time until I was halfway up the stairs. Mere moments after letting time resume, I heard Frank cussing. A smile crossed my lips, but it quickly became a grimace as a wave of pain and disorientation rolled through my head. I hadn't used my powers like that in a long time. My fingers swept under my nose and, thankfully, they came back dry.

_Pace yourself, Max. No telling what damage control you might need to do tonight_.

After reaching the top, I found Chloe sitting at the edge of the decaying floor. She was really enjoying the show. To make sure I kept myself out of sight, I backed myself into a far corner, making sure to keep my eyes on her.

It didn't take long for the jerk she spilled beer on to come up with his buddy. As they approached Chloe, I played out my options in my head. Rewinding would certainly get her to safety if things continued to escalate, which it looked like they were. I could also freeze time and let her escape that way. That, of course, assumed she wouldn't try to push her luck and fuck with the two guys while they were frozen, which given that this was Chloe we were talking about, was pretty damn likely.

I reached out a hand as things were definitely going too far, but just then, an empty bottle flew at them. A girl called out to Chloe, and I realized that it was Rachel. This was how they met. I was so surprised that I hesitated too much, and Chloe got clocked by one of those assholes before making her escape.

I rewound.

Just as that guy was about to hit Chloe, I froze time for everything except Chloe and me. She seemed to recognize it and moved out of the way. The moment she did, I released my power and the thug swung into midair and toppled over as Chloe ran away with Rachel. The two guys scrambled after them. I briefly wondered if I should interfere, but decided against it. This was how they met, right? I shouldn't interfere too much. Changing too much could prevent them from clicking. Besides, I could always rewind or photo jump if things went to shit.

And they didn't. Chloe and Rachel ended up in the mosh pit, enjoying the show in a way I never could. After watching them for a while, I texted David to come and get me. I still had to brainstorm about the events to come. Besides, I didn't have any place in their world.

* * *

I put my truck in park in the Blackwell parking lot before pulling out my phone. The screen flickered to life, showing me a pic of Max and me, cheek to cheek. I smiled, opening up my contacts.

[Me]  
[i made it to blackhell. thanks again for covering for me don't think i'll ever find a way to repay u for this one.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Just doing my duty, Captain. Glad you made it safe :)]

[Me]  
[i'm going to let that one pass, caulfield. i'm in way too good a mood.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Just a FYI, but I don't think I'll make it to school tomorrow. Too bad for you, you're already there.]

[Me]  
[shit is everything okay?]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Just worn out. I'll text you tomorrow.]

[Me]  
[get some sleep. hope you feel better.]

[1st M8 Max]  
[I will. Good night.]

"Fuck me," I muttered as I pulled my backpack from the passenger side floor. She wouldn't say it, but she was worn out because she was freaking out over this whole ruse to let me see Firewalk. No way could I deny that tonight was fucking amazing, and I owed it all to Max. And she probably worried herself to death the whole time. I'd have to find a way to make it up to her.

"Fuck."

[Me]  
[i'm here. b at the dorm in like 3 mins.]

Slinging the backpack over my shoulder, I got out and locked the truck. This was Max's idea, and it was fucking brilliant. Of course, I had to go somewhere after the concert, and there was no way I could sneak into Max's place. David had that place more secure than a damn fortress. Not like I could sneak in my room either. Unless I wanted to also sneak out and pray that no one so much as glanced in my room. So she suggested that I crash at the Blackwell dorms. Good thing we had a friend on the inside willing to help.

I sat down outside the dorms. Just as I started to worry that she'd passed out or something, my phone buzzed.

[Kate]  
[I'll come let you in.]

A minute later, and the door opened. Kate poked her head out, waving for me to come. I rushed over and followed her in. Thankfully, Skip and his crew weren't exactly a hardcore security team. We made it back to Kate's room without a single problem.

"Thanks again for this," I said, keeping my voice low as I tossed the pack aside. Of course, this being Kate's room, I gravitated straight toward Alice. But the cage had a cover over it. "What's up with Alice?"

"It's so she can sleep in peace," Kate said as she retreated to her bed. "So the lights don't bother her."

Of course, even if this day was the fucking best, this night was just taking a giant shit on me. I guess it could be worse. One of Skip's cronies could've caught me. David or my parents could've found out. Hell, I almost didn't even get into the concert at all. What the fuck was that even?

"Hey, anything weird happen tonight?" I asked as I pulled out my phone and looked at the history. There was nothing new from that weird contact.

[Partner in Time]  
[Enjoy the show.]

[Me]  
[srsly, who the fuck is this?]  
[?]  
[how did u do that crazy ass shit?]  
[u did it again, didnt u? that dickwad that i hit stopped dead right before he punched me.]  
[that had to b u.]

"I, uh, I had a bad dream before you texted me. It really scared me," Kate told me as she pulled her knees close to herself.

Damn was she cute. I had to shake my head to chase away those fucked up thoughts. "What happened?" I asked as I started to undress by my pack. I didn't have pajamas per se, but I had an old tee and a pair of shorts. Close enough to PJs, right? Throwing on the shirt over my bra, I curled up on the sleeping bag we left with Kate earlier today.

"I had it before, a couple of years ago. I forgot about it until now," Kate said. "But it really, really freaked me out."

I turned, propping myself up on my elbow as I looked over at her. "Over a dream?"

She closed her eyes, breathing a breath in and out. "Two years ago, I'd never been to Blackwell before. Didn't know anything about it," Kate explained. She kept her gaze locked straight down, just reminding me more of Max. "Chloe, the dream took place at Blackwell. I know it did. And I had it before I was ever here."

Okay. That was legitimately creepy. No frozen world with no sound brought by a weird contact on your phone, but creepy nonetheless. "You think it's a vision or something?"

Kate shook her head. "I… in the dream, I'm up on the dorm roof. It's raining, and the whole school is out on the lawn, looking up at me."

"Like a big speech in your underwear dream?" I asked, trying to make a joke to break the tension, but I forgot that this was Kate. It never worked with her.

"N-no." She shook her head. "Not like that." Kate finally snaked her way under her blankets. Once she got comfy, she rolled over to face me. "In the dream, I hear myself saying… saying terrible things about myself so full of doubt and pain and despair."

Once again, I found myself unable to find anything to make the situation better. Max'd be eased by my dumb jokes, but I never could find a way to handle Kate. So I just went with, "Yeah?"

"It was like my voice was trying to drag me away, to… to make me fall off the roof," she told me. "On the roof with me was… I-I didn't recognize her before, but this time I realized it was Max. She was maybe a couple of years older, though. Like, seventeen or eighteen."

Something about that stirred something in me. A sort of sense of deja vu. Did I have a dream like that? "What did Max do?"

"She was talking to me. Telling me nothing but wonderful things about myself, and it was like her voice was the only thing pulling me away from the ledge," Kate explained.

I smiled, though it occurred to me that I probably shouldn't, so I tried to will it away. "That sounds like Max."

Kate smiled back. "Yeah."

"So what happened?" I asked.

"You texted me, and I woke up. I've been trying to remember what happened before, but it's so fuzzy, I can't remember." Kate leaned out, extinguishing the light, and plunging the room into black nothingness.

This was better. I got comfy in my dad's old sleeping bag and stared straight up into the nothing. "Well, for what it's worth, sweet dreams, Kate."

"Sweet dreams," her voice echoed back at me.


	4. Time Warrior

[Captain Chloe]  
[feeling better?]

[Me]  
[Yeah, but I have a get out of school free card. Totally using it.]

[Captain Chloe]  
[smart move.]  
[hey i really do owe u for last night. it was fucking amazing.]

[Me]  
[You have all the time in the world to make it up to me. Make it count.]

From my spot by the stump at American Rust, I switched phones.

[Me]  
[Rachel will cut today. She will ask you to tag along. Go with her. Trust me.]

[Primary Objective]  
[what the fuck? srsly?]

[Me]  
[Your destiny awaits.]

[Primary Objective]  
[ill fucking trust u when u tell me who u r and how u did that shit last night.]

[Me]  
[She needs you.]

The screen lit up, showing that a call was coming in from _Primary Objective_. I just stared at it, wondering why Chloe didn't think to try that last night. After a few rings, it went to voicemail. I tucked the phone away in my bag as my mind went back to what had to be done today. David and I talked strategy for a while, and we agreed that the best way to take Damon down was to make sure that he never got into bed with Amber to keep Sera away from Rachel.

In the end, the solution was simple. Make sure Rachel makes contact with Sera. Once that happens, Amber will have no more reason to try to stop that from happening. The real questions were how and when. What I wouldn't give for another conversation with Chloe in the original timeline. She'd have all the answers.

Me? All I had were vague ideas and more second chances than anyone should ever get. Out of habit, I checked my journal to double-check that I hadn't added to this thing after my selfie this morning. That selfie was in the journal itself. Monday's was around my neck, attached to a chain. It didn't serve as particularly attractive jewelry, so I kept it hidden under my shirt. I had yesterday's selfie in my back pocket.

It helped calm the clawing anxiety for me to have so many different ways out if things went bad. I briefly toyed with the idea of having a tattoo of one of my selfies added to the back of my hand, but that probably wouldn't work. Though, that would finally make me feel secure. Like no situation could trap me where I couldn't escape and fix things. No, I had to make do with what I had and the cursory knowledge of what's to come.

At least up through to my death on October 11th, 2013. But if I could keep Chloe in the dark about my powers until then, I should be able to get her to safety—make sure she isn't on the dock with me when the tornado comes to kill everyone. At least I knew when, and what to look for. When it gets closer, I might be able to work out a solution that doesn't kill me. Assuming I don't fuck that up, too.

I couldn't think about that now. Chloe had her dad, and if I did this right, she'd have Rachel, too. All the support she'd need to survive without me.

I waited there by the stump for some time before Chloe and Rachel showed up. Either my nudging worked, or Rachel was just that good at dragging Chloe along. Just like Chloe always did for me. Making sure I didn't get spotted, I doubled back and headed for the bus stop.

The best chance for Rachel to meet Sera was in the park, but we decided against that play. From what I understood, Rachel was a volatile girl. She needed time to understand the situation and know what a meeting with Sera really meant. So I had to show her that. I just had to make sure the timetable was moved up to breakneck speed in order to stay ahead of Damon and James Amber.

* * *

I got off the bus in the better part of town that was always out of Chloe's and my reach. It only took a short walk for me to come upon the Amber household, signaled by the permanent lawn sign campaigning for James Amber's position as DA. Even though I never met the man, I felt a sense of distaste—a transferred hatred from my Chloe's memories.

Within sight of my objective, I pulled out my camera and took a selfie, making sure to put in my journal on the next blank page. If I needed to jump back, the ritual should reveal to me if I left a message for myself. Still, I flipped forward and back a couple of pages, just to make sure I didn't have a message from a future me. Satisfied, I stowed my journal and camera.

Next, I just had to worry about which angle to play. I could try to talk my way in, and sneak into the office from there, or I could just smash a window and get in that way. Either way, a rewind would protect me from getting into trouble. If I talked to Rachel's step-mother, then I might be able to glean some info that I might not get otherwise. However, that also would limit my ability to snoop. My powers had definite limits, after all.

In the end, I decided that dealing with people was harder than dealing with a window. Holding out my hand, I collapsed time until it stopped altogether. Through the timeless world, I approached the house and looked through the windows until I found the office. It didn't take any time at all, and not just because time wasn't moving. The very first window on the right showed me James Amber's office. I pulled up on the window, but it didn't budge. The next also held firm, and those were the only two leading into the office.

So much for avoiding the breaking part of breaking and entering. I released my hold on time as I weighed my options again. Getting in without breaking anything was still an option if I tried talking my way in _and_ the door to the office just happened to be unlocked. Or I could find the nearest hefty thing and smash a window. Maybe some part of Chloe was rubbing off on me and I just wanted to smash something, or maybe my true, oh-so-yellow colors were showing and I didn't want to make a fool out of myself, even if I did have the ability to take it back. Maybe a little of both.

I grabbed a decorative rock from the garden in front of the house and hurled it at the nearest window. It smashed right through, sending a shrieking alarm into action. The sound physically hurt, even standing outside the office. I covered my ears and did my best to get in without cutting myself on the glass. Once inside, I rewound until the window reassembled and the rock planted itself in the garden again.

Even though the alarm stopped, my ears still rang.

_Okay, have to work quickly, just in case there are cameras._

Chloe mentioned something about letters and checks from Sera. Those were my top objectives. If I could find other things to show Rachel and Chloe the truth, all the better. Rummaging around turned up precious little, and it was starting to become taxing given that I rewound every couple of minutes, making sure that I could keep myself off of any film that might be rolling. Finally, I found a key to the desk, and there I hit paydirt.

Legal letters from lawyers representing Sera, letters Sera sent to Rachel, and canceled checks showing that… something? I knew they were important. I gathered it all up and also found a burner phone, not unlike my own. However, it only had texted to a single number and they were cryptic as hell. I considered taking it but instead opted to add myself to this phone as well. I called myself "Truthbringer" and added the phone's number to my burner phone before stowing Amber's burner back in its place.

Objective complete, I headed out the way I came in, this time opening the window to set off the alarm. This time, I rewound all the way until I had just put away my journal and camera, then reassuming my spot until I felt myself in sync with the phantom version of me, I let time flow normally again. In my bag, I had everything I needed to make a dossier for Chloe and Rachel, and no one would ever be the wiser.

"Now, to make contact with Sera," I muttered as I headed back to the nearest bus stop.

* * *

I hated my dad. Fuck that. I hated James Amber. Like that high and mighty pig deserved to be called my dad, hooking up with some cheap-ass slut while he looked down at the rest of the world. Fuck him.

Fuck Chloe, too. I drew an arm across my face, my tears and makeup smearing into the sleeve. Of course, she was twice as awesome as I first thought, and I thought she was hella awesome to start with. She really tried to make me feel better, and she even… I dunno, confessed, or some shit?

I let out another frustrated scream. This was too much to handle all at once. I should've just gone by myself. Why did I have to run into her, and then have the stupid idea to bring her along? I knew, I fucking knew my dad was up to this kind of shit. And I just fucked up whatever we had going because of course I did.

"Fuck!"

My phone buzzed for the hundredth time. I ripped it from my pocket, half wanting to chuck the fucking thing. Of course, I had texts from my parents. Of course, I had texts from my friends. Of course, I had texts from… the fuck?

I stared at my screen, my rage falling away as curiosity took hold. "Who the fuck is ' _Time Warrior_?'"

[Time Warrior]  
[Go back to her.]  
[You can find all the answers with Chloe.]

[Me]  
[I don't know you, and I don't care. Fuck you!]

I consciously redoubled my hate as I continued my march back to the park. My phone buzzed again. I ignored it. Again. And again. Whoever the fuck it was, they weren't going to manipulate me. They'd have to do way better than that.

But it just. Didn't. Stop. After the umpteenth buzz, I yanked it out of my pocket and this time I did throw it. With all my might it flung away from me to disappear in the brush. In a thousand pieces if I was lucky.

My momentary satisfaction vanished as a wave of disorientation hit me. The whole world seemed to blur. I staggered a couple of steps back, and I saw myself. A ghostly version of me seemed to go backward. Her hand reached out, and my fucking phone flew from the underbrush to phantom-me's hand. In an unnatural motion, her hand slipped the phone back into her pocket. Then, the ghostly me walked backward down the path at an accelerated pace.

Just as suddenly as the episode started, the dizziness left me and my backward doppelganger vanished from sight. My phone buzzed again. I pulled it out, my hands trembling so much I nearly dropped it. It was really back. It went back into my pocket, just like that fucking vision showed me. I unlocked the screen to find a single message. Not thirty, like there should have been. One.

[Time Warrior]  
[Do I have your attention now?]

[Me]  
[What. The. FUCK?]

[Time Warrior]  
[James Amber isn't having an affair.]  
[He is lying. To you.]

My heart thrummed in my chest as the words appeared on the screen. Not only did the words themselves strike a nerve, but how the fuck did this person know what was even going on? Fuck, I didn't know what was going on.

[Time Warrior]  
[Go back to Chloe. I left the truth with her.]

[Me]  
[What truth?]

[Time Warrior]  
[The one you don't know to ask about. Now go!]

* * *

It had been a good fifteen minutes since Rachel ran off, and a good ten minutes since I broke the bat. As soon as I finished my rampage, I checked my phone. Sure enough, that mysterious contact was lighting me up again.

[Partner in Time]  
[Wowser. That was harsh.]  
[Wait here. I'll bring Rachel back.]

[Me]  
[r u watching me?]

It took a while for the contact to respond.

[Partner in Time]  
[She's coming back. Wait for her.]

[Me]  
[fucking talk to me!]

Part of me wanted to get in the truck and drive off, just to show this bastard that I couldn't be toyed with. But… I just couldn't. The mystery contact hadn't misled or lied to me before, and if Rachel was coming back, I wouldn't leave her hanging. No way in hell.

So I just waited, reading and rereading the texts from the mystery sender as I leaned against my truck. I briefly considered texting my parents back—they'd laid into me over my skipping school and I did send them a cursory text letting them know that I wasn't dead in a ditch somewhere, but I opted not to get into a text fight with them. I'd just take my licks when I got back.

I let out a bitter laugh at myself as I fished a cigarette from my pocket. Max went through hell to keep my ass out of trouble over the Firewalk concert, and then I go and fuck things up this badly all on my own. "I'm a fucking mess," I muttered as I lit the cigarette and took a long drag.

"Not as bad as me."

I couldn't stop a stupid smile from showing my face as I heard her voice. Instinctively, I stepped toward the source of the voice. "Rachel!" The urge to run up and hug her fled as I saw her face still bunched up in anger. Instead, I just puffed on my cigarette as I leaned back against the truck again. "I… Sorry. I think I fucked up somewhere. I just… don't know where."

"Yeah," was her simple reply.

I was about to say something, but my phone buzzed. Half of me wanted to ignore it, but I was pretty sure who was texting me, and those weren't the kind of texts I needed to be missing. "Just a sec," I muttered as I fished out my phone.

[Partner in Time]  
[Check your glove box.]

_What the fuck is that supposed to mean?_

"Chloe, what's in your glove box?"

"The fuck?" I muttered, looking between Rachel's phone and mine. "Have you been getting weird texts, too?"

The look on her face told me everything I needed to know. I grabbed the handle on the door, but it didn't open. I always locked my truck up. A string of curses left my lips and I accidentally dropped the cigarette as I fished out the keys and worked the lock. Flinging open the glove box, I found a file folder with a sticky note attached. It read: _PiT TW_.

I pulled it free, and Rachel and I spoke at the same time, our voices having the same sense of wonder.

"Partner in Time."

"Time Warrior."

We turned to each other, our eyes finding each other. Both of our expressions must've been screaming, " _What the fuck?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max continues to pull the strings, altering events in Chloe and Rachel's favor. As they draw taught, will she be able to continue to push them in the right direction, or will they pull back, defying their puppetmaster?


	5. Haunted

I flung the folder open, resting it there on the seat, and Rachel and I stood shoulder-to-shoulder to see the contents. It was like one of those cop files on a person, but this person was Sera Gearhardt. The picture was of the woman making out with the guy at the park right before Rachel decided it was a good time to get unsober. I started reading, but it quickly became apparent that this folder wasn't for me.

_Rachel Amber,_

_Your father is not cheating on his wife. All the evidence I could get my hands on is in here. The woman you saw your father kissing in the park is named Sera Gearhardt. She is your biological mother._

I stopped reading.

"Biological mother? Rachel, did—"

"Fuck, no!" she replied, her voice cracking. She thumbed through some of the other papers. "My dad never mentioned any of this goddamn bullshit!"

Taking a step back as Rachel engrossed herself with the file, I leaned again on my truck. My spot by the hood made it hard to see her face, but I just knew she was going through hell. How much did she know about all this? And why was this mystery person who, apparently, had no problems getting into my locked truck, helping us like this?

I walked away, giving Rachel some space as I lit up another cigarette and found a seat on a car hood not far away. Without much else to do, I pulled up my phone to stare at the messages from the mystery contact. My stomach turned as my gaze fixated on a particular text from them… Her?

[Partner in Time]  
[Wowser. That was harsh.]

Only one person on the goddamn planet I knew ever used the word "wowser." Max did say she wouldn't be in school today. That would've left her free to get in my truck while I was off riding the rails with Rachel. And, if she really could freeze time like that, she would be able to get all that info from… wherever the fuck she got it from.

No. That didn't make sense. Even Rachel didn't know that woman was her mom. And a time-traveler couldn't be in two places at once, right? Maybe? How did they know Rachel would see her dad and that woman in the park _and_ leave the file here?

_It doesn't make fucking sense!_

As I struggled to detangle this mystery, the answer became crystal clear. Max or no, this mystery contact was nearby. They had to be to know what was going on. I looked around, hopping off the car to grab a hunk of broken cinder block. Lifting it up, I set it on the car hood and dialed Max's number.

She picked up on the fourth ring. "Chloe?"

"Hey, I uh…" I muttered, my mind racing a million miles an hour. Though I'd already come up with a plan, a good one, some part of me screamed that I should just be straight with Max. But, if my guess was right, she wasn't being straight with me. This would have to be the biggest lie of the goddamned millennium. "I kinda cut class, and I'm probably grounded for life. Also made friends with Rachel Amber and things are getting… strange."

Taking the hunk of stone in hand, I chucked it at a nearby bus window. The sound of glass shattering was exhilarating. Then, I heard the same goddamn sound come from Max's end of the line a second later as she asked, "S-strange how?"

My rage exploded inside me as Max tried to play it off. Tried to fucking lie to me. "Fuck you, Max!" I ended the call, barely managing to keep myself from throwing my phone. Max, my best friend since I was old enough to have a goddamn friend lied to me. For how long, I had no fucking clue. Could she just stop time her whole fucking life and never thought to bring that shit up to me? We didn't keep secrets from each other. We didn't lie to each other.

The sound of my phone going off tore me from my thoughts. It was Max, calling me back.

No.

I hit the red button, sending her to voicemail. I couldn't deal with her right now. Not without saying a fuckton of shit I'd probably regret. How the fuck did today got so goddamned fucked?

I stormed back over to Rachel. "So, what the fuck is this shit all about?" The words tasted bitter coming out. Rachel needed support right now, but I was so worked up all I could do was rip and tear at everything around me.

"My parents lied to me," Rachel said, her voice strangely even and calm. Then, it started to come out in a raw scream. "My whole goddamn life! A fucking lie!" She threw the folder into my truck, sending papers scattering all about. Her hand went to her back pocket, whipping out her phone. She wanted answers, and so she was going to ask Max for them.

I grit my teeth as I pulled out my own phone, a sliver of doubt clawing at me. Max was here. At the junkyard. But that didn't itself prove that she was this Partner in Time or Time Warrior. "Rach… did that weird contact… Did she do, I dunno, weird stuff?"

A sidelong glance at me and Rachel went back to focusing on her phone. "Yeah. They fuck with you, too?"

"It's like we're a couple of fucking puppets."

"Tch, I'll dance along with the strings as long as they pull me where I want to go," Rachel replied. Then, she held up her phone for me to see.

[Me]  
[I read your fucked up file. How do I find her?]

[Time Warrior]  
[I'll set a meet. Soon. Time is not on your side.]  
[Do NOT let James find out.]

"Who the fuck is James?" I asked.

"My fucking dad," Rachel replied. She threw her arm in the direction of the truck. "Those files are probably from his goddamn office. He doesn't want me to meet her… to even know she fucking exists." Closing her eyes, Rachel gave a long sigh. "Do you really think we can trust this Time Warrior?"

_Pretty fucking sure it's my best friend._

"It's… fucked up. Here," I said, pulling up my contact to show her some of the texts from this morning.

[Partner in Time]  
[Rachel will cut today. She will ask you to tag along. Go with her. Trust me.]

[Me]  
[what the fuck? srsly?]

[Partner in Time]  
[Your destiny awaits.]

[Me]  
[i'll fucking trust u when u tell me who u r and how u did that shit last night.]

[Partner in Time]  
[She needs you.]

"Last night?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, she got me into Firewalk. She, like, froze time or some shit so I could just walk in."

"Wait…" Rachel snatched the phone from me. "These texts were sent this morning."

I nodded. "I got them before I even left for class. I tried calling her, but she doesn't even have a voicemail."

Rachel's head shook. "I… I knew my dad was doing some shady shit. I planned to cut and figure it out, but… Chloe, running into you and bringing you along was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I… I never even thought to ask you along until I ran into you."

"She… didn't send you a text asking you to bring me?" I asked, scratching my head.

"I didn't get a text from them until fucking twenty minutes ago! So how did they know I'd ask you when _I_ didn't know I'd ask you?"

"You're asking me? I don't know what she's up to, or why… she's doing all this crazy ass shit," I said. "What does she have to gain?"

Rachel seemed to consider my words as she reached into the truck, gathering up the scattered papers. "It would help if we knew just who the fuck this person was. If it's even a goddamn person and not some kind of god. It's like we're Shakespearean characters, swept up in some folly of greater powers we can't comprehend."

"I don't think it's a god," I said, once again scanning all around. She had to be around here.

"What do you think it is, then?" Rachel asked, climbing up in the truck to gather more papers.

"I don't know for sure, but I got a hunch." I scratched my scalp, trying to tease out the truth I didn't want to face. "I… I think it's Max."

"Max? The freckled orphan freak?" Finally having scooped up all the papers, Rachel started putting them back into the folder. "She hates me," Rachel said after a few moments of organizing papers. "This whole song and dance seems to be a tune to my benefit. Why would she help me? Unless… this is some sort of trap? Ruse?"

I frowned, my jaw tight as my teeth ground together. "One, Max doesn't hate anybody. I've seen her stand up for fucking Victoria Chase. Two, and more importantly, how the fuck is she doing this shit? I can't even begin to understand the shit coming from my 'Partner in Time.' And three, don't you dare badmouth Max. I don't give a shit who you are, I'll knock your goddamn teeth out."

"The how doesn't matter," Rachel replied, not even batting an eye at my threat. "We know it's happening. Knowing how doesn't put us in any better position. The why, however, might give us some insight into this whole damned mess. How sure are you that this is even Max?"

I kicked the dirt beneath my feet, feeling my doubts clawing fervently at my mind. "I dunno. Seventy percent?"

"Okay, so assume it is Max." Rachel stowed the file back in the glovebox before patting the seat next to her. As I started to get in, she jerked me over and I fell into her lap. She leaned over me and closed the door. "What does she gain from this? What is it that Max really wants?"

_What does Max want?_

"When… Max took it hard when she lost her parents," I said, looking away from Rachel's hazel eyes. "I'm her best friend, and when her parents died, I was all she had left. Fuck, if Max could do all this crazy shit, I don't see why she wouldn't drag them back from the dead. That's what she really wants."

Rachel frowned down at me. "Well, I can't raise the dead, so she's not doing this for me for that. I think you were a little closer to the truth before you fixated on that."

My brow furrowed as I met her stare again. "What are you talking about?"

"Let's assume that, for whatever reason, she can't or isn't willing to get her parents back. What is her top priority then?"

Words found my tongue, they seemed so familiar, but I couldn't actually remember Max saying them, "I'm her number one priority."

"One of those texts said that your destiny awaits, right?" Rachel asked. "I don't see how this ties into _your_ destiny. This shit is my fucked up family." Her hand rested on my shoulder, her thumb rubbing little circles as she thought. "Okay, so we know she can make time go backwards."

"The fuck? We do?" I sat up, looking over at her. "I've only seen her stop time."

Rachel shook her head. "I saw it, time went in fucking reverse. She kept trying to text me and I got pissed off and threw my phone. Then, time went backwards until I had my damn phone again. Even the text I read from her the first time was erased. Like it never happened."

I shook my head. "It's not Max, then. If she could make time go back, she'd save her parents for sure."

Rachel sighed. "So where does that leave us, then?"

"Fuck if I know. Wanna just go home?" I asked, fishing the keys from my pocket.

"No," she said, her voice wavering with emotion. "I do _not_ want to go home. Let's just… hang out here for a while."

I nodded. "Yeah. I kinda get it." She had more than a long lecture and grounding waiting for her at home. Her mom wasn't even her fucking mom, and they never even told her. Though, Rachel would have to bite her tongue on that one, right? Max… or rather the contact that gave us the file told us to keep her dad in the dark about this shit. But why?

Rachel ended up going back to the file as if she could turn up some sort of answer from its contents. I decided to give her some space, so I just kind of wandered around the junkyard. Once all the anger left me, I found myself kind of liking the place. Seemed like a nice, isolated hideaway from the world. Tons of cool shit to get into, too.

The thing I liked was the old ship. The fucking thing had a pirate flag hanging off of it and everything. This place totally put our old pirate fort to shame. And just like that, I felt like shit. Max was spying on me. No fucking question about that. But maybe she wasn't this Partner in Time after all. If she could go back in time, there is no way she'd ever let her parents die like that. Could she have been another puppet, dragged here by some faceless texts on her phone?

[Me]  
[sorry about blowing up at u earlier. i was an asshole]  
[do me a solid? can u talk to my parents? i'm in so much trouble, i won't c u again for like a year]

[1st M8 Max]  
[It's okay, Chloe. Not the first time you've gone off on me.]

[Me]  
[yeah. dosen't look like i'll b giving up my queen of the assholes crown any time soon. i'm sorry max. Really. u shouldn't have to put up with my shit like this]

[1st M8 Max]  
[You put up with my shit all the time. What else are best friends for?]

It really made me feel like an ass just how easily she was forgiving me for my bullshit. I knew my ruse was a bad idea. I should've just been straight with her, even if she was probably spying on me. Hell, at this point I questioned if that was the actual sound of the glass breaking or just feedback—her shitty phone picking up the sound from the earpiece.

[Me]  
[i really owe u big time. can u just tell mom and dad that i'm helping rachel through a family crisis? i'll fill u in later. promise]

[1st M8 Max]  
[Aye aye, Captain! /(^_^)]

_Go ahead and emoji it up. I deserve it._

I put the phone away as I found a half-built shed. It was little more than four walls, but it definitely had potential. This was so going to be our new hangout. A bit more exploring and I found an old sign from a restaurant Max and I used to go to. It went out of business like a year ago, but it struck me with a strange sense of deja vu. No. Not the sign. Just… the spot.

My heart pounded in my chest as it hit me. I suffered a hell of a nightmare last night. A nightmare about this exact fucking spot.

"Jesus Christ," Rachel muttered. I looked over to see her coming toward me, just a few steps away. "This is creepy as shit."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I think… No, I know I had a nightmare last night. It took place right fucking here," Rachel said, pointing at the dirt in front of me.

Her words sent a chill down my spine and my heart only sped up more. "Please tell me you are just fucking with me," I said, not even trying to hide the fear in my voice.

"Why would I fuck around about that?"

"Rachel, _I_ had a nightmare about this spot last night." I pointed at the spot. "There… there was a body right there. I… I think I dug it up or something. Then, I heard Max. She was on the ground and there was this fucking douchebag-looking guy standing over her with a gun. I had a gun, too. I turned to shoot him… but he shot first."

A rough hand on my shoulder pulled me, and I found myself face-to-face with Rachel, a stricken look on her face. "You… you did not just say that shit!" Her breaths were deep and rapid. "No fucking way."

"What?"

"I-in my nightmare, I was being buried alive _right there_ —" Rachel pointed over the same spot "—by fucking Nathan Prescott and a guy with a goatee in a suit."

My heart skipped a beat before painfully constricting in my chest. Rachel's feather earring… it was the exact same earring on the corpse. "Holy shit," I muttered. "Are you saying that we both had dreams that we died right fucking here?"

Rachel grabbed my arm. "Then why the fuck are we still here?" She started dragging me away, and the next thing I knew, we were in my truck again. "Get us out of here!" Rachel didn't need to tell me twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Max's lies unravel, can she keep her secret identity a secret from Chloe and Rachel? What more can the nightmares of Arcadia Bay reveal to them?


	6. Chasing Nightmares

Rachel didn't want to go home. Neither did I. Though I did wonder just how much begging and explaining it might take to convince Mom and Dad to let Rachel stay the night. In the end, the only place I could think to go was Blackhell. After all, Max's place was out.

I shut the engine off, leaving us in the dim evening light. As much as I wanted to try to find words to comfort Rachel, none came. Finally, after a few suffocating seconds of silence, Rachel spoke up, "You brought us to school? Seriously?"

"Can't go to my place or yours," I said as I turned on the cabin light. "Max's foster-dad is a total dick, so that's out, too. Everyone else I know lives here."

Rachel muttered something under her breath, but I didn't catch it. For a minute, I thought she might go off on me again, but then she reached into the glove box and pulled out that folder again. "Hey, you got a pen?"

"In the glove box, maybe? Unless a sharpie will do." I briefly wondered just what it was she planned on doing. At least until she triumphantly held up a pen.

"Aha!" Rachel then pulled out a sheet from the file and turned it over. She began to draw. "Okay, we both had a fucked dream where some guy we don't know killed us in the same exact spot neither of us had ever been to before."

"Yeah…" I said, not even wanting to think about that fucked up mess and just what it could mean with this freaky contact on our phones leading us around.

Rachel held up a hand at the edge of the paper like she was covering the answers during a test. "So, either it's the biggest fucking coincidence I've ever seen, you _are_ fucking with me, or this is some more bullshit coming from Time Warrior. Like a warning."

"A warning in a dream?" I asked. As far fetched as it seemed, my so-called Partner in Time did appear just yesterday. Right before the fucked-up dream. Maybe they didn't just stop the present and go to the past. Were we shown the future?

"Here's the idea. We'll each sketch the guy. Then we'll exchange sketches. If it's the same person…"

"It's not just a dream," I finished the thought. It was fucking brilliant, and on some level, scared me shitless.

"Right. And, more than that, if we have a face, we know who to watch out for other than Nathan fucking Prescott."

At first, I wondered why she brought him up, but then I remembered that she said he was in her dream with the guy. "Nathan wasn't in my dream," I muttered. It was kind of hard to imagine him as anything other than the simpering wimp of a rich kid I helped out this morning.

"The more I think about it… I always knew that spoiled fuck was a little off," Rachel replied, never stopping from her work. A part of me wanted to lean over and look at the drawing. I had to squash that down. Seeing her work might influence my drawing. We had to do these separately so we could really compare them. And if they did match… Could this day get any more fucked?

A few minutes later, I had a blank sheet and the pen. Just as I started, Rachel bummed me for a smoke, the first thing she'd said in some time. I wondered what was going on behind those dazzling, hazel eyes. Tearing my eyes from hers was harder than it should've been, but I did as I fumbled for my pack. As soon as I dug it out, I cursed. Just one cigarette left. And damned if I couldn't tell her "No."

"It's my last one," I said, holding it out to her.

She put it in her flawless lips, leaning my way. "Sorry, Chloe, but I really need this right now."

I found myself beating away stray fantasies about that look and those words as I fumbled for my lighter. "Uh… H-here," was all I could manage to say as I flicked the lighter, holding the flame to the tip of the cigarette.

Rachel leaned back away, leaving behind a pocket of air that seemed so much colder. She inhaled deeply before saying, "You're a lifesaver, Chloe."

"Y-yeah." All other words failed me. I just couldn't stop seeing those hungry eyes, those soft lips… I wondered how they would feel on mine.

Then, she swung her hand back my way. "Here," she said, holding out the cigarette, "make it count."

I took the cigarette, focusing a bit more than I should on the pink stain on the butt from her lipstick. Finally, it occurred to me that I must've looked like a total freak, just sitting there letting the last cigarette burn out. "Fuck… yeah. Sorry." I brought the cigarette to my lips, taking a long drag. The soothing smoke didn't thrill me so much as the fact that this had just been in Rachel's mouth.

I really was some sort of disgusting subhuman. At least Rachel didn't seem to mind it. I mean, I said a lot of shit at the junkyard. She had to know how fucked up I was, right? A peek over at her, and all I could see was worry and impatience. Of course, she didn't have fucked up gay feelings. Just that nightmare and the texts leading us along to something neither of us could understand.

I passed her back the cigarette after I took another drag. "I gotta get this sketch done."

"Part of me wants them to not match at all," Rachel said as she again took the butt between her lips.

"And the other part?" I asked, not even really thinking at all as I tried to remember that face from my dream.

"What if this is some kind of future? Maybe this Time Warrior is trying to save us. Help us, somehow," Rachel said. "I just can't understand it though. If you could control time, why would you help a couple of girls trapped in some podunk town?"

_To get in their pants._

I bit my tongue. "How the fuck should I know?"

"You said it's not Max, but what if it is?" Rachel replied. "I mean, who else, with that ability, would expend it on us? No one would do all this for me. But I've seen you two. You're practically joined at the hip."

She made a lot of good points, but it was hard to follow with my attention focused on the task at hand. "You said it yourself, Rachel. All this has been for your benefit. I'm pretty much just along for the ride."

"The file is for me, that's for damn sure," Rachel said. "But getting in to see Firewalk? That was all for you. And that happened before all this fucked up stuff happened with my parents."

"I don't have any fucking answers. It doesn't make sense if it's Max. It doesn't make sense if it's not," I said. "Maybe… maybe there's something in our future that makes us worth saving."

"That's just an excuse," Rachel replied. "We can't figure out anything if that's the case."

"We're not exactly figuring out a whole lot of shit either way," I shot back. "But maybe we can at least put this nightmare shit to rest." I flipped the sketch over, placing it face-down in Rachel's lap. She returned the gesture, sliding her picture my way.

Unable to wait for even another second, we turned them over in unison, not having to say a word to each other to coordinate. Rachel… was not good at sketching. The picture in front of me was little more than a doodle. But the guy did have a goatee and glasses with a douchey hairstyle.

I looked over at Rachel. She held a hand over her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at my sketch. Nodding a bit, she looked back over at me, a haunted look on her face. "It's him… That's the guy."

"Fuck," I muttered. Leaning over against the door, I shook my head. "So what does this mean? Is this the fucking future?"

"I fucking know who to ask," Rachel replied, her phone in her hands.

A few seconds later, and Rachel's phone hovered in front of my face.

[Time Warrior]  
[Sorry about the nightmares. Side-effects of the time shit. You're probably going to have more tonight. But don't worry, that's not the future.]  
[Not anymore.]

My stomach twisted in knots looking at that last text. The implication was crystal clear. That shit _was_ going to happen. That motherfucker was going to kill me _and_ Rachel. "Holy fuck," was all I could manage to say.

"Understatement of the fucking century," Rachel replied, sinking back into her seat and stowing her phone. "S-so whoever the fuck this is, they're not just helping me figure out this shit with my family."

"They're saving our lives. Max's, too. She was in my dream. That motherfucker… Fuck!" I slammed my palms against the wheel. I only caught a glimpse of Max in that dream, but the whole vibe… she was gonna die, too. Or worse.

"This just adds another fucked up layer to all this shit. Do you think Sera has something to do with it? Is that why Time Warrior is telling us all this?" Rachel asked, biting her thumbnail.

I shook my head. "No fucking idea." Reaching over, I snatched my sketch from her lap. "But I do know one motherfucker that might have some goddamn answers," I said, holding up the sketch.

Rachel had an intense look on her face as it sunk in. Then, she smiled. "You're talking about playing with fire."

"You got a better idea how to shed some light on all this shit?" I replied as I kicked open the door. "Come on, we can use my friend's laptop. Just gotta get to the dorms before curfew."

* * *

We raced over to the dorms, using our student I.D.s to get in, and headed to the second floor. Then, we went down the hall and stopped three doors before the end. "This is the place," I told Rachel as I knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Kate stuck her head out. "Chloe? And… Rachel Amber? Isn't it a little late for visiting? Curfew will be soon."

"Huge emergency. Like, I'm talking _literally_ life and death here," I replied. "We gotta use your computer."

Behind me, Rachel clasped her hands together and put on an adorably pitiful expression. "It's really important."

"Huh?" Though bewildered for a moment, her good nature wouldn't let her turn us down. "I mean, um, come in. I guess." Kate stepped back, letting the door open all the way.

"Okay, so we need to find out who the fuck this guy is before he goes on a murder-spree," I said, waving the paper in front of Kate. "I was thinking we could use your computer and do like, an image search to figure out who the fuck it is."

Kate took the sheet but didn't really look at it, instead keeping her eyes on me Rachel and me. "Wouldn't that require a scanner?"

"Uh…" I muttered, feeling like a complete and total idiot.

Thankfully, Kate came to my rescue. "I think Victoria next door might have one," she said, pointing at the wall that I assumed separated their rooms. I didn't know how thick it was, but something told me not nearly fucking thick enough with that uber bitch on the other side.

"Okay, so we ask Vic, then," Rachel said, not even batting an eyelash.

"You really think she'd help?" I asked. "That bitch is… a… total bitch!" _Ugh_! Why could I not stop making myself look like a brain-dead moron in front of Rachel?

"It's fine," Rachel said, flashing me a knowing smile. "She's been all about kissing my ass since she's my understudy for the big play tomorrow night."

The next thing I knew, we'd said our goodbyes to Kate and headed to the gates of hell. Or the next door over. Close enough. This time I let Rachel take the lead since Victoria and I had a mutual hatred for one another.

Rachel knocked, and Victoria swung the door wide open before putting a hand on her hip and scoffing at us. "What brings the high and mighty Rachel Amber to my door at this hour?"

Somehow, that grating, unpleasant, complete and total bitchiness didn't even phase Rachel in the least. She just smiled. "We actually needed a little favor," she said, handing over the sketch.

Victoria looked at the sketch, raising an eyebrow. "You're a fan of Mark Jefferson?"

Rachel and I shared a wide-eyed look. We had a fucking name already. And my whole internet search thing was a total shot in the fucking dark. Rachel recovered from the shock before I did, which was probably a good thing. I just would've said some stupid shit and pissed Victoria off. "Something like that, Vic. You got a photo or something of him?"

Victoria's eyes rolled before she spun around and waved over her shoulder at us, inviting us into her evil lair. I was disappointed at how normal the room looked. It was actually really similar to Kate's. The Bitch Queen herself went to some small bookshelf by her desk before handing Rachel a book. Not a picture, a fucking book… of pictures.

"The fuck is this shit?" I asked, no longer able to keep my tongue from wagging as I looked at the fucked up pictures in the book.

"Mark Jefferson's work," Rachel replied, adding in a quiet "apparently" at the end. Finally, she flipped the pages to the cover and there it was. There _he_ was. The exact face from my goddamned nightmare.

"Just who the fuck is this psycho?" I asked.

"Hey! Mark Jefferson is a _very_ accomplished photographer. Practically a living legend," Victoria remarked, glaring daggers at me.

"This is definitely the guy," Rachel said as she snapped the book closed.

Victoria accepted the book as Rachel handed it back to her. "What is going on with you two?"

Rachel sent me a look, then turned back to Victoria. "Never heard of that motherfucker before." She held up the picture I drew. "Chloe drew this from memory. We both had a nightmare where this guy killed us."

For once, Victoria didn't have something smart to say. She looked downright stricken for a long moment before her face contorted into fury. "You're just fucking with me, aren't you? Taylor told you about my nightmare!"

"I don't even know who the fuck that is, either," I shot back.

"Wait, wait." Rachel held out an arm, keeping me from getting in Vic's face. "You had a nightmare about him, too? Did it take place in a junkyard?"

"What? No." Victoria recoiled a bit as she shook her head. "It was, like, in a photography studio, or something."

Rachel held out her phone to me, her thumbnail pointing to one word in particular. She whispered to me, "This shit's hitting everyone."

[Time Warrior]  
[Sorry about the nightmares. Side-effects of the time shit. You're probably going to have more tonight. But don't worry, that's not the future.]

Rachel turned her attention back to Victoria. "So what happened in your dream?"

Rolling her eyes, Victoria scoffed. "What do you two even care?"

"Because I'm pretty sure just about everyone had a nightmare last night," Rachel retorted, her eyes boring into Victoria. "Did Mark Jefferson kill Taylor, too?"

"N-no…" Victoria said, turning her face away from us. "She… she died in a storm."

"Wait, back up," I said, pushing my way to stand next to Rachel. "What happened in your dream? The one with the goatee douchebag?"

Victoria cocked an eyebrow, glancing over at Rachel before turning back to me. "I don't remember all the details. He was talking a lot, I don't know about what. I was… bound on the floor and I… I think Max was there? He had her strapped in a chair." Victoria's hand went to her neck, rubbing the side. "He injected me with something, and I woke up."

"Shit!" I turned away, grabbing my phone. "Shit, shit, shit!" I dialed Max's number, and she picked up on the second ring.

"Chloe?"

Just hearing her gentle voice helped to calm my racing heart. "Max… Max, did you have any bad dreams last night?"

"I have nightmares pretty much every night. You know that, Chloe."

My guts twisted. I did know that. I just hated thinking about it. "Shit, yeah. Sorry. But I mean, like, anything out of the ordinary. Maybe with… I dunno, Victoria in them?"

The line was quiet for a long moment before I heard a soft, "No. I don't think so."

I took a deep breath in and out as I tried to calm my racing heart and thoughts. "O-okay, Max. And, hey, thanks again. For everything. Are my parents pissed?"

"Chloe, I don't think there is a word for how upset they are."

I hung my head. "Yeah. Sounds about right." A long sigh and I glanced back over at Rachel and Vic. "Hey, I'll… well, I'll probably have to see you in class. Pretty sure Mom and Dad are gonna smash my phone and lock me in my room for about ever."

"Well… at least they don't know about Firewalk," Max replied, earning a chuckle from me.

"Thanks again for that. I'll see you tomorrow, Maxi."

"Aye aye, Captain."

I hung up the phone, only to find Rachel and Vic staring at me. While I was sure Rachel already knew what was up, Vic must have thought I was a fucking psycho. "Max didn't have a dream with Vic in it last night."

Which meant one of three things. Can't have crazy time travel nightmares when you're already having fucked up dreams. Vic was lying. Or, Max was lying. And Vic wasn't lying.

"Just what the fuck is going on here?" Vic demanded.

"Not one-hundred percent sure, but I think everyone just caught a glimpse of their own demise last night," Rachel said as she cast a sidelong glance at me. "Guess that means Max didn't die there, either."

Shit. Okay, four things.

"Are you two serious right now? You think that some weird bad dream is how we're actually going to die?" Her voice may have been filled with bravado, but the way she worried those pearls of hers said that our words hit home more than she wanted to let on.

"Nope," Rachel said, grabbing my hand and heading for the door. "We're saying that shit happened in the future, and now someone's trying to change it." Without another word, we left a bewildered Victoria alone in her room.

Rachel furiously typed on her phone, going through her long list of contacts asking about nightmares, no doubt. I only gave a shit about a couple of people here. And my next stop was our last stop. I knocked on Kate's door again.

"Hey, again," I said with a little wave as Kate opened the door again. Putting on a smile, I clasped my hands together. "Need one more flava."

We entered Kate's room. I headed over to her sofa and sat down. "So, two things, Katie. First and foremost, I need to hear more about your dreams."

"My dreams?" Kate replied to me, though her gaze stayed locked on Rachel as she headed over and sat at Kate's desk, still typing away on her phone.

"You mentioned a rooftop and Max, right?" I asked.

Kate hugged herself, giving a little nod. "The dorm roof. In the dream, Max saved me."

"I don't get it," I muttered, my knee bouncing as I ran a hand through my hair. "Rachel, you're sure you didn't see Max in your dream?"

"Just… Nathan and Mark Jefferson," Rachel replied, looking up from her phone. "And chill, Chloe. Max isn't in anyone else's dreams. I've got two saying they didn't have nightmares and four saying they died in a storm." She looked back down at her phone. "Five. What the fuck is up with this storm? Victoria said Taylor died in it, too. Or, dies in it."

Kate turned back to me, color draining from her face. "St-storm?"

Her reaction sparked a dormant memory. Kate hated storms. They always scared her shitless, because… because of recurring nightmares she had. "Fuck, you've died in storms in your nightmares too, huh?"

"F-for like two months, I had the same nightmares over and over. The one from the roof, and one where… where a storm comes and…" Kate trailed off, shaking her head.

"Wait. So this isn't new?" Rachel said, finally looking up from her phone. "These kinds of dreams happened around here before?"

I held out an arm toward Kate. "Just… just Kate."

Kate shook her head. "No, you… you were having nightmares back then, too. We talked about it."

I scratched my head. "We did?"

"Unlike me, you had a lot of different nightmares," Kate recalled. "Didn't you dream of the storm, too? We talked about it for a while. It was so scary because our dreams were so similar."

That sounded familiar. Still, I could only really remember some of the feelings and snippets from that junk. Did I really have dreams like that? Did I have the dream with that fucker shooting me before?

"Just what dreams did you have?"

I turned to see Rachel leaning my way, those brilliant hazel eyes boring into me. Holding up my hands, I brushed it off, "I really don't remember."

Rachel turned to Kate. "Who else had nightmares?"

Kate hugged herself. "The whole family did. Even Max."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow. "Even Max?"

"Yeah," Kate replied with a little nod. "When… when Max's family died, she ended up living with us for almost six months. We were the only household in Arcadia Bay that could foster her and she didn't want to leave the bay." Slowly, at the end of her statement, Kate sent a meaningful gaze my way. No way Rachel wouldn't be able to read that bold print between the lines. It wasn't that Max didn't want to leave the bay. She didn't want to leave me.

"Wait, hold up," Rachel got to her feet, stepping over as she kept her eyes locked on Kate. "You're telling me that, right after Max moved in with you, everyone in your house started having nightmares?"

Kate frowned. "Are you trying to blame Max? She'd just lost her whole family!" Standing up, Kate got right in Rachel's face. "How dare you!"

"Whoa, whoa," I said, putting myself between the two of them. I turned to Kate, first. "I think Rachel's just saying it's kind of a fucked up coincidence. We know Max, right? Even if she could, she'd never intentionally do something like that."

Next, I turned to Rachel. "Let's just… take a break. We still gotta figure out more about this Jeffershit guy and talk to Max, yeah?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah."

"Why would she say something like that about Max?" Kate whispered to me as she watched Rachel sit back down and go back to her phone.

"Totally fucked up story. But it's late I really have to go home and get grounded until I'm eighteen," I said, thumbing over my shoulder at the door. "Would it be too much to ask to let Rachel stay here with you tonight?"

Kate sent a glare in Rachel's direction. "Her…?"

"Please, Kate," I said, clasping my hands together in front of me. "I can't really go into detail about it, but Rachel can't go home tonight. It's like, really heavy shit."

"I can't just keep sneaking girls into my dorm like this," Kate protested.

"Dude, it's like, here, or she's sleeping in my truck. I promise this is the last time for a while I'll put you on the spot. Scout's honor."

Kate frowned at me. "You weren't in the girl scouts."

I shrugged. "Okay, you got me. How about a pirate's oath?"

With a sigh, Kate relented. "Just for tonight. And you had better have a very good explanation for all this."

"Kate, as soon as we figure out just what the shit is happening, we'll let you know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the inconsistent updates. This will be the new normal for the foreseeable future. I will do my best to publish _something_ each weekend, but I can't even really promise that much. Between work and a general inability to get the creative process humming along, I just don't know that I'll be able to even get one a week, honestly. But try I shall! 
> 
> Also, I really, really wanted to add a Freudian slip to Kate's dialogue:  
> "I can't just keep sneaking _cute_ girls into my dorm like this," Kate protested.
> 
> But decided better of it. Just didn't fit the mood.


End file.
